Surely, you've already heard about Minimum Viable Product (MVP), but do you really know how to make it effective? Discover all our ideas to develop your MVP with confidence!
What is an MVP and why should I use it?
To start and set the context, here is the definition of MVP in a few lines.
MVP stands for Minimum Viable Product, and it is above all a method that applies to creative support in the field of software. It is a product development strategy aimed at prioritizing development speed and production deadlines.
However, there is no exact methodology for designing an MVP. An MVP must offer a simplified and specific service, which must focus on the essential functionalities of the site or application. These represent the heart of the product, responding to the most critical needs of users. In addition, an MVP allows you to collect user feedback even before the product is in full complexity. This makes it easier to reorient or completely change the product, while it is still fresh in the minds of the developers.
There are therefore many advantages:
- ? Time to market: The development of an MVP allows for time to market to be reduced. It is a functional solution quickly delivered, which positively generates a confrontation of the product/service with its target.
- ? Concept validation: This advantage reduces development costs and thus secures your future investments by adjusting your value proposition, for example.
- ? User feedback through co-construction: The feedback will be beneficial to you since it will quickly confront your project with market realities. Feedback from your users is a treasure of information, for the development of your project and for building a loyal community.
- ? User satisfaction: Closeness to user expectations is an asset in the final production of your product/service because you will have the guarantee that it brings general satisfaction to your users.
The stages of developing your MVP
Before you even begin the steps to create your MVP, you must first refine your product idea. Study the market, study the competition, ask everything about your target! Knowing the current environment where your product/service will function is essential to make yourself able to anticipate risks and/or crises, for example.
1. The environment and competition
The first step is to study the market carefully. The viability of your product must consider your competition, so you need deep research to consider your target and encourage creation to stand out. The important thing is to be able to respond to a problem that is neither too complex nor too simplistic for your defined target. Thus, studying the environment, the competition, and the market, will allow you to put in place the beginnings of your communication and marketing strategy.
So, inform yourself by leaving a place for your creativity to stand out.
2. Get time for brainstorming
Build your product increment to grow your MVP! When brainstorming, don't hesitate to set up surveys with targeted users. This will allow you to know a lot more and to readjust your project since these interactions can result in alerts on certain inconsistencies, feedback, and, as said above, inspiration.
Also work on your visuals, your charter, and therefore set up avant-garde storytelling. Remember, the future users are your primary source of inspiration and resources for changes, to make your product viable!
For that, here are some tools/sites to organize your user surveys:
3. Define your product
This is the result of your brainstorming with your users, pulling in goals, and setting them!
List all the features of your product or service, and do not hesitate to detail to make your idea attractive and functional. You can gradually refine your list, in order to keep only what seems essential and relevant to you. Leave out functions that are not immediately necessary (they can always be performed at the right time).
Bring together your ideas, functional characteristics, and product specificities, this is what will allow you to refine your strategy according to your target, of course! But remember that in the end, the goal of your product/service is simplicity of use.
4. Bring your product to life
Make way for prototyping, you must create your usable prototype to allow the concrete visualization of your product/service. For this, you can refer to the Wireframe creation tools, to bring your project to life via a realistic mockup on screen.
It is important to remember, however, that this is not a design phase, it is a testing phase. It allows you to realize the effectiveness of the final product!
The use of virtual is easy and above all very current, it facilitates the work, allows a better understanding with a web designer, for example. In addition, it will allow you to prioritize and organize the development of your project by answering 2 successive and essential questions: What to build? And where to start? Thus, you restructure your ideas by classifying tasks. Remember, being organized is key!
For that, here are some tools to design your wireframes: Adobe XD, Sketch, Figma, Wire Frame, Uxpin, and FrameBox.
If the idea of using its software makes it hard to understand, it is also possible to hire a UX designer. By your side, he will be able to highlight the minimum characteristics of your product/service by providing you with a readable virtual mockup.
The expertise of specialists is almost essential for the viability of your project. Even if you are versatile, it is important to surround yourself with experts, with very specific skills. In addition, the outside look is useful, it is as relevant as your customer questionnaires.
Being the sole shareholder of your project can greatly distort it, so don't hesitate, to call on competent and specialized service providers, for a flawless acquisition strategy and product development!
5. Adapt your acquisition strategy
The traffic acquisition part should be created while your MVP product is going through its production phase. You must organize it knowing that it is always editable, there are no failures in removing certain strategic ideas. The organization of this strategy will allow you to identify the main lines by following your objectives, it is the model that accompanies your project.
To organize your acquisition strategy, here are the different points to always being creative.
First, you lay the groundwork by thinking about the content you want to integrate into your project. Think about the tone you want to use (always depending on your target), and build your universe and your story through innovative content.
Adding a blog is a plus, think about it. It allows you to inform your community and maintain an authentic connection outside of a commercial context. Here too, you will need to create your editorial line. What do you want to talk about? Think about the headings you want to put in place. However, always keep in mind that a blog shouldn't be purely commercial, don't just talk about yourself, don't constantly encourage the act of buying, and diversify your content, while keeping up with the news.
Create your landing page and the registration form for your newsletter. Here too, always keep in mind your target and your universe. The user needs to enter a specific universe, so be different, and build your own image. Inspire yourself, but don't plagiarize.
Develop your community management strategy and choose the social networks where you want to be. Community Management follows your target, it is the interlocutor between your brand/company and your consumers. This strategy must adapt to them, know how to talk to them and above all be attractive in any way.
Think about your advertising campaigns, again use social networks with sponsored posts/videos that use an advantageous algorithm. Be on the lookout for new modes of communication, and know that whatever your target, social networks are your first opening to the world. The dissemination of your project is immediate, relevant, and above all fast. So, exploit them!
You may also wonder about the influencer community, which is very popular now because it is very effective. However, instead, rely on micro-influence for stronger and relevant engagement (and it's cheaper in terms of partnership). Think about which influencers are right for your product and don't hesitate to canvass them.
In conclusion, you should know that the most important thing is to remember that there is no one right way to develop an MVP. These strategies will help and guide you in your strategy and method but remember that this is your design. You can take inspiration from these five stages of design but create your own project. Above all, remember that an MVP is made to make mistakes and try again differently. What is important, is to get conclusions and provide solutions!